Never Let Go
by Ponytales
Summary: Jess can't sleep after the events in the series 5 finale so she visits a friend. Purely some Jess/Becker fluff. Spoilers for series 5.


Title: Never let go

Author: Ponytales

Rating: PG-13 for adult situations

Spoilers: Series 5 episode 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Primeval. If I did there would be a lot more snuggling.

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Jess Parker held the pillow crushed to her head and prayed it would stop the noises that were currently coming through the wall. It didn't, and it certainly didn't stop the wall from the very rhythmic **thump** **thump** **thump** of her flat mate's head board. Which when she thought about in a very disjointed, sleep deprived way the noise was truly odd considering that their headboard was on the opposite wall from Jess's.

They had been at it for hours. After the day they all had with saving the world, nearly being mauled to death by Predators and then nearly watching Lester bleed to death in her arms, it was shocking that she couldn't fall asleep. She was shivering, despite being in her bed and bundled up in her warmest pj's and she just couldn't fall asleep but banging on the wall so they would tone it down a bit would be beyond mortifying.

Abby and Connor were normally such considerate roommates, and normally she could fall asleep through any amount of noise they generated with her headphones on. That had always worked before when they had been...boisterous...but not tonight. Not after the day she'd had. There was no hope for it. She didn't want to set foot back in the ARC this late at night by herself and she also didn't want to go to a motel for just a few hours.

Jess used her logical mind to shuffle through her options and when the cries next door were reaching their peak she gave a sigh of relief. It turned out to be premature. _Rabbits_ didn't have that much stamina. She huddled down in her pillow then just flat gave up. She pulled out her phone and texted the only person she could think of that might let her crash on his couch for the night.

_'Are you still awake?' _She hit send and gave herself ten minutes to wait for a reply before she gave up and went to a motel. If she could find one that still had rooms open. Between the creatures destroying things and the EM activity grounding all flights for the next few days, it may very well be that all the 'no vacancy' signs would be up. She knew she was only delaying and planning so she could avoid thinking about this morning.

Her phone chirping shook her out of her planning. _'Yes. What's up?' _She always did love the fact he took the time to use proper spelling and punctuation in his text messages. So many people these days didn't. Well aware her mind was wandering she hit call. He answered on the first ring.

"Hey." His low voice over the line soothed her immediately. "I'm surprised you're still awake after the day you had."

"You had it too. I can't sleep-" In a bit of comedic timing Connor let out an especially loud shout. Becker heard it. "Was that what I think it was?" He sounded appalled.

"Yup. They're like rabbits in there. I was wondering if I could use your couch tonight while they get this out of their system?" Jess said it all in a rush, even exhausted and mentally fried she still couldn't get over her fidgets when it came to dealing with the exceedingly handsome soldier.

The perfect gentlemen, he didn't hesitate. "Certainly. My house is your house. Do you want me to come get you?" Jess smiled gratefully, "No, that's all right, I can drive. I'll be there in twenty."

"See you then. I won't ask how you know how to get to my house..."

Jess giggled, "I swear I wasn't stalking you. I know where every team member lives...just in case there's an after hours anomaly near their home."

He teased her, "Purely professional then?"

"Of course. Becker...thank you."

"You're welcome."

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Jess didn't even bother getting dressed. Her pj's covered more skin than her normal work clothes did. It was nearing eleven and she just tossed some clothes for tomorrow into her big purse and wrapped up in a bathrobe. She had never had cause to drive by the building where he lived before and when she was in this part of town she had stopped herself because that was a little too stalkerish. She could explain away having his home address in her SatNav but not explain away a casual drive by to see who else was about.

Frankly it was a good thing she had it already programmed. It was freezing in the car, even with the heat cranked all the way up and she was trembling like she'd been drinking. It was a good thing the police were on the lookout for escaped creatures and not drivers that were a bit trembly.

Becker answered the door just a second after she knocked, he must have been waiting on her. He was wearing a pair of black cotton pj pants and nothing else. The up close view of his musclebound chest wasn't even enough to distract her from the cold and the shaking. His expression changed from friendly to extremely worried as soon as he saw her ignoring his attire.

"Jess, are you quite alright?" He pulled her inside and shut the door. "You looked terrible."

She managed a weak smile while she made a beeline for the couch. "It's been a rough day."

"Yeah. Won't argue with you there." He saw her starting to stretch out on the couch and he reached down and grabbed her hand, "Don't get cozy there, you can sleep in my room. I'll take the couch." Immediately she started to argue with him but he saw how ragged she was, "No, don't argue with me Jess. You need to sleep in a proper bed. I fall asleep on this couch all the time when I'm watching the telly. It won't bother me in the least." While he was making his case he pulled her up and guided her into the bedroom. "Besides, I already made the bed up for you."

Only the weakness of her protests told him that he was absolutely right to insist she sleep in the bed. "Jess. It's fine. Go to sleep." Becker had heard the expression, 'fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow', but he had never actually see a case of it before. He sighed and tugged the blanket up to her chin. She looked so worried, with her brow furrowed even in sleep. He let himself go long enough to brush a kiss on her forehead, "Sweet dreams."

Becker didn't know how much later it was that he woke up to the screaming. He crashed into his bedroom at a run, his hand grasping for a gun that wasn't there. Even he didn't sleep with a pistol under his pillow. Inside Jess was thrashing around in the bed, she'd kicked the blankets off of herself and she was struggling and swinging wildly out, all the while begging 'No! No! No!'

He took all this in an instant before he dodged her fists and gathered her up in his arms. Becker pulled her up in his lap and held her close, partly in self defense and partly because she was shaking like a leaf, "Jess, Jessica, wake up. It was a dream, it was only a dream."

She came awake with a start and jumped, but not too far because he was cradling her tight. She managed to say his name before she started to cry quietly. He shushed her and tucked her head up under his chin. It didn't take her that long before she had calmed down a bit.

"Do you want to tell me about?" He whispered in the dark room.

"No. It was horrible. They were going to get me, they had us cornered, I was going to die..." He made more shushing noises and hugged her. At some point in her ramblings she became aware that she was cuddled up on his lap like a kitten and that his chest was really comfortable to lean against. She burrowed into that warmth and security. She didn't hear how his breath caught and he thought that she had no idea what she did to him. He glanced down at her face and realized why. She had fallen asleep again.

Becker looked at his watch. It had only been about an hour since she came over. He sighed and swore to himself he could be a gentleman about this. He worked them both back under the covers and she clung to him like a drowning kitten. He couldn't leave her like this, that would be the height of cruelty. Even though she had accused him of being mean when she was out of her mind off that bug bite, he wasn't really mean. At least, not when it came to her. Running around in the ARC dragging Lester's semi-conscious bloody body? It was a miracle she was able to handle the case of the Hogwarts express not two hours later. He drew the blanket back over them both and closed his eyes.

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Jess became of aware of where she was and who she cuddled against very slowly. It was sensations first, warmth. It was the first time since that nightmare day began that she was truly warm enough. Smell...the scent of gun oil that always clung to Becker even though they hadn't been using real guns for ages now. Gun oil and soap and fabric softener, which wasn't a smell that most men had but it made him extra touchable. Not that she dared, under normal circumstances.

These weren't normal circumstances. She burrowed into his side a little more and it was enough to wake him up. He glanced down at her. He was on his back and she was draped bonelessly across his arm with her head pillowed on his shoulder. The alarm going off a few seconds later jolted them both fully awake. Becker reached out with his free arm and slapped the alarm into silence.

Jess was looking up at him with a truly inscrutable expression on her face. "Morning?" He offered, unsure of her mood. Suddenly she broke into a grin. "Morning." She stretched and became aware of a weight against her head. It wasn't his hand. One was clasped loosely around her waist and the other was resting on his stomach. Jess shifted enough she could turn around and see what it was.

It was so unexpected that she tilted her head to one side and then the other before the object reconciled itself with her brain to be a very tiny dog.

"Becker!" She exclaimed, "I didn't know you had a Chihuahua!" Jess looked him and grinned again. He stretched before he answered and she was rested enough she noticed how his muscles tensed below his skin. "It never came up?" He offered idly.

His dog picked his head up when Jess reached out and ran a finger down the dog's body. The white on his muzzle let her know that he was long past his puppy days. "What's his name?"

"Her." Becker corrected her with a grin, "I named her BB."

"BB. As in BB gun? As in smaller than a bullet?" Jess looked like she might start laughing at him. "I can't believe you own a Chihuahua named..." she giggled "...BB."

"What?" He replied with a casual air, "I found her a few years ago. It's not like I woke up one morning and thought, '_My life would really be complete if I got a Chihuahua_.' I found her one day and the shelter was so full she only would have had twenty four hours to find a home. I didn't know what else to do with her." He couldn't resist, "What's it to you? If you dare tell anyone I have a Chihuahua...I'll...I'll..."

Jess drew herself up, with the trauma of the day before fully pushed out of her mind with this revelation. "You'll what?"

He thought frantically before he settled on a suitable punishment, "I'll tickle you until you pee on the ops floor in front of everyone."

She quirked an eyebrow at him and lied resolutely. "I'm not ticklish."

"Bullshit." He drew his hand up his side and her resolve to _**not **__**move**_ came crashing down about two seconds later. She was squirming and alternating between trying to elbow him and trying to get away but he had a much longer reach and was highly motivated to get her to keep the knowledge of BB's existence to herself.

"I give up!" She finally yelped between the laughter. "I give up! I'll never tell anyone that big tough action man has tiny brown Chihuahua that you let sleep on your pillow!"

"I could do without the sarcasm thank you very much." He said gruffly, but with good humor. "I get enough of that from Lester." His own men wouldn't give him too much grief over taking in the little dog, but it would be best if they didn't know.

At some point during the tickle fight BB went down the little ramp at the foot of the bed and went padding off in search of breakfast. She hoped that this didn't become a regular thing. At her age, she needed her beauty sleep.

When they had finally caught their breath the tension in the room changed as Jess became aware she was draped over Becker and he didn't seem to mind in the least. He was looking at her oddly and she knew she was looking at him the same way. Like, in a hungry, needy way. They leaned in closer slowly, and when their lips were mere millimeters apart- the damned alarm went off again. If it weren't for the alarm clock sounding off again they would have finally kissed.

Becker took that time to retreat, emotionally. "We'd better get ready for work. Lester will be very annoyed with us if we're late." Then he smirked, "Especially if we're late together."

"Oh you!" Jess slipped off of him and stood up, "I expect we've got tons of work to do...reports to file...software to update...there's probably going to be a press conference eventually. Lester will be wanting me to write him a statement of something..." She kept her mouth running to disguise the fact that she was flustered.

He knew that. He knew she talked when she was nervous. He knew that he was also incredibly nervous, and he wanted her back right where she had been. "Jess," He called out to her right as she reached the bathroom door with her purse. Something in his tone had her looking back at him. "Yes?"

"Will you have dinner with me tonight? Anomalies permitting." He looked so nervous laying there! Like he couldn't believe he finally said that.

She pretended to think about it before flashing him another brilliant smile. "Yeah. Anomalies permitting." She made it into the bathroom before the blush started running up her cheeks.

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FIN

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